What are your favourite gyokuros?

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Jul 18th, '15, 04:11
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what are your favourite gyokuros?

by bonescwa » Jul 18th, '15, 04:11

Tead Off wrote:
NateHevens wrote: As for water... I think I might start a new topic on that, because I have a... thing... about bottled watered... I'm not a fan, because, to me, the whole idea of bottling water is patently absurd (it's on par with the bottling of air to me... that level of absurdity).

I think you have the wrong idea about bottled water. Sure, there is a lot of hype and questionable claims concerning 'health' issues. But, when it comes to tea, it is the minerals that are contained in the water that make the difference. Each source has a different content. No two waters are the same anywhere. The best way to understand this is to experiment with the same tea using different waters. Try using Volvic and see if it is the same taste as your filtered tap. There are many others mineral waters from all over the world that can be tried. Without doing the work yourself, all your questions and opinions will not amount to much. Take it from those who have some experience with this. It's a good place to start from.
It's not that he doesn't believe bottled water will be better, but he has a moral objection against bottled water in general

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Jul 18th, '15, 05:59
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by Tead Off » Jul 18th, '15, 05:59

He needs a priest. :roll:

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Jul 18th, '15, 09:10
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by KaiRong » Jul 18th, '15, 09:10

purringtons wrote:also, i'm looking to try out more gyokuro so hit me up with your favs! :~)
I'm a big fan of Marukyu-Koyamaen gyokuros. I tried all of their non-seasonal gyokuro except for the very best Chitose no Homare. My favorites are Tama Homare, which is one of their high-end gyokuros, with very pleasent umami. Clearly not an everyday gyokuro, not just due to its price: it requires a very relaxed state of mind to prepare it properly. From M-K's everyday teas, Shiun is my favorite: well-rounded, delicious tea. Their entry level gyokuros are also fine, but obviously they are not on par in terms of richness with the high-end or near high-end gyokuros: at my workplace I usually drink Mizuyama.
Ippodo is also a good choice: Kanro is the sweetest gyokuros I have ever tasted. Kakurei is cheaper alternative, but still a very smooth and pleasent drink.

BtW, I checked your instagram, you have some nice photos related to tea :D

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Jul 18th, '15, 12:40
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by purringtons » Jul 18th, '15, 12:40

Chip wrote:In my experience ...

I like going up the ladder of particular vendor's gyokuro selections so i can experience the improved quality. O-Cha and Maiko (their special line, forget the name right now) have very good selections at various price points. You usually get what you pay for.

Zenhodo has a couple nice gyokuro too.

Or, if you just want to get a good one, my go to gyokuro is Kame from O-Cha which hits a good balace of quality and value.

My brewing parameters to follow ...
ah going up o-cha's gyokuro ladder is actually exactly what i planned on doing.... but turns out i'll actually be making a trip down to japan real soon so i'll have to withhold my order in the meantime lol but i'm not complaining hahaha

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Jul 18th, '15, 12:42
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by purringtons » Jul 18th, '15, 12:42

KaiRong wrote:
purringtons wrote:also, i'm looking to try out more gyokuro so hit me up with your favs! :~)
I'm a big fan of Marukyu-Koyamaen gyokuros. I tried all of their non-seasonal gyokuro except for the very best Chitose no Homare. My favorites are Tama Homare, which is one of their high-end gyokuros, with very pleasent umami. Clearly not an everyday gyokuro, not just due to its price: it requires a very relaxed state of mind to prepare it properly. From M-K's everyday teas, Shiun is my favorite: well-rounded, delicious tea. Their entry level gyokuros are also fine, but obviously they are not on par in terms of richness with the high-end or near high-end gyokuros: at my workplace I usually drink Mizuyama.
Ippodo is also a good choice: Kanro is the sweetest gyokuros I have ever tasted. Kakurei is cheaper alternative, but still a very smooth and pleasent drink.

BtW, I checked your instagram, you have some nice photos related to tea :D
ah i've never heard of marukyu-koyamaen.. just ran a search, thank you for sharing! i hope i can pick some up when i go to japan next month :~)

p/s hahaha thank u :oops:

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Jul 18th, '15, 12:45
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by purringtons » Jul 18th, '15, 12:45

another thing about water.. does the pH level matter? i have an alkaline water filtration system at home and i'm not sure if i should play around with it haha :)

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Jul 18th, '15, 22:39
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by Tead Off » Jul 18th, '15, 22:39

purringtons wrote:another thing about water.. does the pH level matter? i have an alkaline water filtration system at home and i'm not sure if i should play around with it haha :)
The waters that I like for Japanese teas are usually a bit above 7ph. Experiment and pay attention. That's the best advice I can give.

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Jul 19th, '15, 01:18
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by NateHevens » Jul 19th, '15, 01:18

bonescwa wrote:It's not that he doesn't believe bottled water will be better, but he has a moral objection against bottled water in general
Yup.

And no, I really don't need a priest for my personal ethical and moral stances.

(I have now deleted, for the third time, a paragraph asking everyone to imagine how absurd the idea of bottled air [not scuba tanks or for medical purposes] is as a metaphor for how I feel about bottled water, but then I remembered that we're discussing tea here, so perhaps this should be dropped, and I'm sorry for bringing it up in the first place. I've really got to do better about the whole "time and place" thing...)

So my next brew with my gyokuro will basically be the same way I've been doing it, but with a lower temperature to start. I think I'll shoot for 120*F

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Jul 19th, '15, 06:35
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by William » Jul 19th, '15, 06:35

I am the only one who brew gyokuro at 75/80 C°? :D

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Jul 19th, '15, 08:24
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by Tead Off » Jul 19th, '15, 08:24

William wrote:I am the only one who brew gyokuro at 75/80 C°? :D
Yes, in the whole wide world. :lol:

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Jul 19th, '15, 09:21
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by William » Jul 19th, '15, 09:21

Tead Off wrote:
William wrote:I am the only one who brew gyokuro at 75/80 C°? :D
Yes, in the whole wide world. :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Jul 19th, '15, 18:39
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by Daniel_Green_Minded » Jul 19th, '15, 18:39

purringtons wrote:so i finally got around to buying a shiboridashi and used it for the yame gyokuro from o-cha :D so far i've made it about 5 times with minor variations in time and temperature and they all turned out great tbh. still i wonder if anyone else has tried the yame gyokuro and if so what brewing parameters are used?

also, i'm looking to try out more gyokuro so hit me up with your favs! :~)
I see you've got the Sami scoop from hibki? Did you buy it for the free tencha karigane with free delivery as I did? lol

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Jul 19th, '15, 19:03
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by hobin » Jul 19th, '15, 19:03

about water choice: sen no rikyu used the water of his well--not the best choice according to the classic of tea...

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Jul 19th, '15, 22:17
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by Tead Off » Jul 19th, '15, 22:17

hobin wrote:about water choice: sen no rikyu used the water of his well--not the best choice according to the classic of tea...
So, who are you going to believe? Of course, we have no way of knowing what their water actually contained. Plus, the world of tea has changed radically since they lived. The only way to gain some modicum of understanding is to experiment and pay attention. Even then, your own subjectivity will color everything you experience. It's just the way it is. :D

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Jul 20th, '15, 02:27
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Re: what are your favourite gyokuros?

by purringtons » Jul 20th, '15, 02:27

Daniel_Green_Minded wrote:
purringtons wrote:so i finally got around to buying a shiboridashi and used it for the yame gyokuro from o-cha :D so far i've made it about 5 times with minor variations in time and temperature and they all turned out great tbh. still i wonder if anyone else has tried the yame gyokuro and if so what brewing parameters are used?

also, i'm looking to try out more gyokuro so hit me up with your favs! :~)
I see you've got the Sami scoop from hibki? Did you buy it for the free tencha karigane with free delivery as I did? lol
ah no i've had the tea scoop for ages i don't even know where it's from.. but i did buy shincha matcha from hibiki to score the free kargane :lol:

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